Tag: presence

Jesus Is With Us

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

There Was Jesus: When I Couldn’t See It

“Hindsight is 20/20!”

How many times have I said that to myself after something happens or after a lesson I’ve learned? Many times. When things feel chaotic, uncertain or scary, we often act on impulse in the hope of controlling a situation; we can lash out, run away or do any number of things in the midst of a crisis. That’s very normal but it can result in some sad things. We live in a skeptical world and it feels like lately, it’s harder and harder to feel Jesus’ presence. Jesus is with us at all times, even in the moments where we can’t blatantly see His work. Oftentimes, when we come out on the other side of a crisis, we look back and see that Jesus was with us the whole time, and that He used the situation for His good — that’s a ‘Hindsight is 20/20” moment. We need to start trusting and believing that Jesus is with us while experiencing something chaotic, uncertain or scary. We can remind ourselves that Jesus is with us by looking at His Word.  Joshua 1:9 tells us to be “strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Another way to feel His presence is to give thanks. When everything is crashing around us, that is really, really hard. With every inhale and exhale we take, we have something to give thanks for ⁠— breath in our lungs ⁠—  so cling to that when you can’t see Jesus working in a moment to be reminded He’s with you. 

My Thoughts

I don’t know about you, but my tendency when the going gets rough is to hide away, cry, read and sometimes argue with God about the circumstances. I am learning to sit still, read my Bible, recall Scriptures that I have memorized and use those verses to remind myself that Jesus is right there with me. We aren’t Thomas the disciple who doubted until He actually saw Jesus. If we look, we can see Him working in our lives every day. It’s just that we get so busy that we don’t take time to look. And then when a crisis comes, we try to handle things ourselves first and then, in utter desperation, we turn to God. I am trying to train myself to turn to God first. Medical issues? Talk to God. Scary things I have to do? Talk to God. Lonely and missing my children? Talk to God.

My memory verse for this week is helping me to remember that Jesus gave us a Helper, one who reminds us of His teachings and His presence with us.

I was challenged by our Sunday school teacher to start memorizing a verse a week. I am on week 5, and so far, so good. My first reaction was that I am too old to put anything else into my brain. I mean, I go into the kitchen and have to look around to try to remember why I’m there. But, the Caleb, our teacher, encouraged us, and the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and told me He would help me. And He has! I found that I can put my verses on a notecard and take them with me as we travel to our various appointments. I say them first thing in the morning and last thing before bed at night. And since I am a visual learner, writing the verses out several times helps, as well as having the verse with an image as portrayed here.

I say all of that about memory verses to let you know that these verses are helping me to remember to stay calm and focused on God. I don’t like change, of any kind, at all, ever! So, yesterday, when appointments had to be shuffled, my physical response was to have a soaring blood pressure. Then, I paused, did some nice deep breathing and focused on God. I told myself that God was with me and recited some of my verses. My heart stopped pounding and slowly my head stopped hurting, too. All good news for a stroke survivor! And a reason to be thankful, which I agree is a way to stay focused on God and His power in your life.

If you need help with staying focused on the Lord, I strongly recommend memorizing Scriptures. God’s Word is a constant source of strength, even when the world seems to be spinning the wrong way.

God’s Unyielding Light

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App2 Comments

When we come to yield signs on the road, we slow down and are more cautious about approaching the intersection, aware that there are other cars already there and we have to time our merge to get into the flow of the traffic safely. But when I say that God’s light is unyielding, I am talking about the fact that God does not cower from the darkness. He shines light on it instead. If only we could see things the way God does, then His plan for us would be more clear and it would be easier to accept hardships because we would see that good things are coming. God is always present. The darker the night, the closer His presence to us. We have to acknowledge that He is there in order for us to feel His comfort and embrace.

Growing up, I had the habit of getting up every night to go to the bathroom. My bedroom was only a short distance from the main bathroom in the house, so even though I didn’t like the dark, I walked quietly to the bathroom, closed the door and sighed with relief when I could turn on the light. There was nothing there to jump out at me and scare me, just the darkness. What power darkness can have over us if we let it! We have to remember that God always shines through those dark places in our lives, the places where we are not sure what is going to happen next and what steps we should take. God is right there.

I still use a night light, several of them in fact. One in our bathroom, one in the living room and sometimes one in the kitchen. I cannot say that I am comfortable with the dark now, but I am not afraid of it. I have learned that God is a whispered prayer away and whenever I am afraid, I have but to say His Name and He is right there with words of comfort and peace from His Spirit to mine. I am blessed to have God’s light in my life so that the hard times of life, when the path seems to be growing darker and the way is twisted and unexpected, I can know that God is right there, my refuge and strength. I hope that you have found His unyielding light in your life.

Finding Refuge

Psalm 139 is a contemplative psalm, often attributed to King David. In it, the psalmist reminds himself of the all-knowing and all-present nature of God. According to him, we can always find comfort in the unconditional promise of God’s presence:

“If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”
Psalm 139:11-12 NIV

Though life has its challenges and moments of overwhelming darkness, God’s nearness remains. He is intimately acquainted with every detail of your life. He sees you, not with the gaze of human eyes, but with the infinite clarity of His love.

When was the last time you acknowledged God’s presence in your life? Have you recently paused to simply dwell with Him? Pausing prompts us to consider the vastness of God’s knowledge and the inability to hide anything from His sight.

There is no darkness too deep and no night too long that can conceal us from the unyielding light of our Creator. Seek Him today.